Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Squirrel's Best
by gothiktenkasen
Summary: In the next installment of my adventure, Jack and I must face obstacles on our own, never knowing if the other is still alive… MESSED UP LOVE SHAPES ENSUE!
1. It's Nothing

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC…

Summary: In the next installment of my adventure, Jack and I must face obstacles on our own, never knowing if the other is still alive…

Rated: T for Teen

Contents: Profanity, alcoholism and more explicit sexuality then my last fanfiction.

A/N: This one is slightly more angsty and has more emotion then the last. I know what I'm doing.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 1: It's Nothing

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It had taken us two or three months to reach the place Jack had set out for. It wasn't really in _Turkey_, more so a bit past the Strait of Gibraltar which is the body of water that separates Spain and North Africa. There, Jack snuck into a Godforsaken prison on a rock. We waited for three days before Jack came back on board. Gibbs offered his hand to help him up and was greeted with a skeletal leg.

"Not _quite_ according to plan."

"Complications arose, ensued, were overcome." Cotton placed Jack's coat on his shoulders. I eyed him warily.

"Are you alright?"

"Mmm," Jack replied, not paying attention to me. I rolled my eyes. He had been like this since we left Anna-Maria at that port. She had been right; something was _definitely _eating at Jack.

"You got what you went in for, then?" Gibbs asked expectantly.

"Mm-hmm!" he pulled out a rolled up piece of cloth and waved it around. Gibbs and I stared at him before glancing at each other,

"Captain, I think the crew, meaning me as well, were expecting something a bit more… _shiny_," He moved his fingers around to convey scintillation. "What with the Isla de Muerta going all pear shaped, reclaimed by the sea, and the treasure with it." The crew had cornered Jack and I began to grow nervous.

"And the royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic," Leech, the Indian crewmember said. He glanced at his fellow pirates for support.

"And the hurricane!" Marty the dwarf shouted from his seat a little farther back.

"Aye," the crew echoed. I swallowed the lump in my throat. I could almost _smell_ the fleeting desire for mutiny.

"All in all," Gibbs began, trying to placate the mood, "It seems some time since we did a speck of honest pirating." Jack leaned towards him slightly,

"Shiny." He repeated.

"Aye, shiny."

"Is that how you're all feeling, then?" He eyed every one of them, "Perhaps dear old Jack is not serving your best interests as captain?" I glanced at him sharply,

"Jack," I warned; he ignored me.

"Awwk! Walk the plank!" Cotton grabbed the parrot's beak as Jack whipped out his pistol.

"What did the bird say?" I bit my lip. Jack looked like he was bordering hysteria.

"Do not blame the bird," Leech said crossly. "Show us what is on that piece of cloth there." Jin dropped down from out of nowhere and screeching, grabbed the cloth and scampered off.

"Jin!" I jumped to my feet and ran after him. Jack's pistol misfired and before I could get to the cursed monkey, he snatched someone else's pistol and shot Jin square in the back. "Jack!" I whined, "He's an undead monkey! Stop shooting him!"

"Know that do no good," Gibbs agreed as he and Jack came toward me,

"It does me." Marty picked up the cloth and unrolled it.

"It's a key!"

"No! Much more better!" He took the cloth from him and showed it to us, "It's a _drawing_ of a key." The crew crowded forward. "Gentlemen," Jack addressed us like we were children, "What do keys do?" There was a pause,

"Keys… unlock… things?" Leech sounded unsure of where Jack was going with this.

"And whatever this key unlocks, _inside_ there's something valuable. So, we're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks!" he reasoned. Jack grinned,

"No!" I rolled my eyes. "We don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?" We stared at him for a moment,

"So… we're going to find this key!" Gibbs said.

"You're not making any sense at all," I snorted as Jin scampered up my arm. "Anymore questions?"

"So…" Marty began, "Do we have a heading?"

"Hah! A heading…" He whipped out his compass and stood there, "Set sail in a... mmm..." He circled his finger uncertainly, "A general… in that way direction," He pointed to the left and I raised my eyebrow,

"Jack, are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure love,"

"Cap'n?" Gibbs and I shared a doubtful look,

"Come on, snap to and make sail, you know how this works. Come on pet." He made his way through the crowd, "Oi… oi… oi!" he barked for them to move aside. I leaned against the rail with Gibbs and Marty.

"Have you noticed lately…" Marty began in his Jamaican accent, "The captain seems to be actin' a bit strange." Gibbs and I shot him a look, "Er," he shrugged. I stayed quiet.

"Settin' sail without knowing his own headin'? Somethin's got Jack vexed." He stared out at the sea. "Mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow bodes ill for us all." Worry seeped into me, far more then normal and I hurried to the cabin. As I closed the door behind me, I heard the beginnings of a thunderstorm.

----

The next night, I came into Jack's study to see him pouring over a map and tapping away at the compass. He looked up and glanced back down at the compass. Confusion etched itself in his face,

"Alright Jack, spill." I stood beside him. "What's on your mind?"

"Many things love," he eyed me and I flushed. The ship rocked and a strange look passed over Jack's face. He picked up a bottle and peeked inside before turning it upside down. A few drops fell out and I giggled, "Why is the rum always gone?" he asked me as he staggered to his feet. There was another swell as he grabbed his hat from a globe. "Oh. _That's_ why." I smiled and took his hand. We walked down and Jack picked up a lantern as we past the crew sleeping in their hammocks. They were snoring and I bit my lip to stop from laughing. "As you were gents." He informed them.

We reached the hold and an animal bleated. Jack removed a ring of keys from his pocket and handed me the lantern. I held it up as he unlocked the door to the rum room. I shivered as I followed Jack to a rack of bottles. Weird barnacle type things were festooning on some wood and when we leaned in to look, they shrunk back into their shells. I wrinkled my nose.

"You need someone to clean down here,"

"Aye." He muttered in reply. He grabbed a bottle and sand spilt forth from it.

"Time's run out Jack." Came a deep voice. Jack dropped the bottle and I jerked back as it shattered on the floor. Jack took the lantern from me and I followed him to a corner of the hold. There, sitting alone was a waterlogged man encrusted with barnacles.

"Bootstrap," he breathed, "Bill Turner." I felt my heart jump into my throat. He looked up from were he was sitting,

"You look good Jack," Water dribbled from his mouth as he spoke. Jack stood up straight and glanced at me,

"Is this a dream?" he asked. I shook my head,

"No." Bill said, sounding a little unsure.

"I though not. If it were, there'd be rum," Bill's arm swung up and he offered Jack an aged bottle of rum. Jack looked from the bottle to Bill and pried the bottle from his hand with a creaking noise.

"You got the _Pearl_ back I see."

"I had some help retrieving the _Pearl_ by the way," he tapped the lips of the bottle before blowing on it, "Your son,"

"William?" He almost looked hopeful, "He ended up a pirate after all,"

"He's a good man," I shot back. Bill regarded me for a moment as Jack took a swing from the bottle,

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your carbuncle?"

"He sent me." I froze.

"Who?" Jack asked.

"Davy Jones."

"Ah. So it's you then." His voice was rough and he sounded a little disappointed. He sat down on a barrel and beckoned to me. I approached him and he pulled me onto his lap. I felt my face flush. "He shanghaied you into his service, eh?"

"I chose it," Bill said suddenly. A small hermit crab scuttled out from his sleeve, "I'm sorry for the part I played in the mutiny against you, Jack. I stood up for you." His hand slammed down on the crab and he popped it into his mouth, crunching, "Everything went wrong after that." Jack's mouth opened and his tongue and jaw moved around in revulsion.

"They strapped me to a cannon. I ended up on the bottom of the ocean, weight of the water crushing down on me, unable to move, unable to die, Jack." My pirate lover looked on, albeit a little regretful. "And I thought that even the tiniest hope of escaping this fate, I would take it." Jack took another drink and offered the bottle to me. I shook my head. "I would trade anything for it." Jack handed it back to Bill.

"It's funny what a man will do to forestall his final judgment-" I slid off as he stood and we started to leave. Bill, quicker than what I would've imagined, stood in front of Jack, blocking him.

"You made a deal with him too, Jack." I gave him a curious look although it didn't surprise me, "He raised the _Pearl_ from the depths for you." But _that_ did. "Thirteen years you've been captain,"

"Technic-"

"Jack!" Bill almost seemed as if was about to plead with his old friend, "Won't be able to talk yourself out of this. The terms what applied to me apply to you as well. One soul, bound to a crew a hundred years upon a ship."

"Yes, but the Flying Dutchman already _has_ a captain, so there's re-" Jack began before Bill interrupted once more,

"Well then it's the locker for you! Jones' terrible leviathan will find you, and drag the Pearl back to the depths and you along with it." And all the while as I stood in silence, Bill leaned forward and Jack leaned back as far as he could.

"Any idea when Jones might release said terrible beastie?" He asked.

"I already told you, Jack. The time is up." He clasped Jack's hand tightly. "He comes now, drawn with ravenous hunger, to the man what bears... the black spot." I moved towards Jack as Bill began to walk away and before our eyes, a black spot boiled onto Jack's palm. In alarm, we both looked up but Bill had disappeared.

"Oh my God." Jack suddenly took off, splashing through a shallow puddle of water,

"On deck all hands! Make fast the bunt gasket! On deck! Scurry! Scurry, I want movement!" I followed Jack around the crew's quarters as he shouted for them.

"Jack!" I called.

"I want movement!" He bellowed. Practically everyone fell from their hammocks and they scurried around for their clothes. "All on deck! Run! And keep running! Run as if the devil himself and itself is upon us!" The crew hurried about their stations.

I ran after him on deck as he hid behind the mast, wrapping a piece of cloth around his palm. Gibbs suddenly came around,

"Do we have a heading?"

"Ah!" Jack jumped and I thought I saw fear in his eyes, "Ooh, run! Land!" And grabbing me, he ducked down.

"Jack, what is-" but he cut me off with a yelp,

"Which port?" Gibbs asked.

"Didn't say port. I said land. Any land." Jin swept down, knocking Jack's hat off and throwing it into the sea.

"Shit!" I ran towards the rail, grabbed a piece of rope, and began tying it around my waist.

"Jack's hat! Bring 'er around!" Gibbs ordered. I tossed a few men the other end of the rope.

"No, no! Leave it! Run." We all froze and stared as the captain ran off.

"You've gotta be kidding me," I muttered, untying the rope.

"Back to your stations! The lot o' ya!" Gibbs and I slowly approached Jack. He was standing rather stiffly between two windows beneath the stairs.

"Jack?" I asked cautiously,

"Shhhh!" Gibbs leaned forward,

"For the love of mother and child Jack, what's coming after us?" There was a tense pause,

"Nothing." Jack replied. Gibbs looked at me and led me a little ways away,

"What's in Jack's head lass?" I stared at him. _I'll leave it up to Jack to tell them_. I thought,

"I have no idea."

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Whew!

There's chapter one for you! Don't worry, things are about to get very interesting…

Reviews are Love,

That Author.


	2. Cannibal Island

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 2: Cannibal Island and Trifling in the Affairs of Others

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It didn't take long for us to find land. When we did, Jack literally jumped ship. I followed him and instructed Jin to stay aboard. He stared at me before scampering up the crow's nest. The crew and I followed Jack after tying the _Pearl _down and I made sure Poppins stayed with me. We trekked through humid jungle and soon, all of us were sticky with sweat.

Suddenly, I felt something tighten around my ankle and I was swept up several feet above the ground. I shrieked,

"Ashlyn!" Jack and Gibbs came to my rescue, cutting the vines and helping me down.

"Holy shit." I rasped.

"Are you alright?" Marty asked,

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be-"

"Get down!" Jack threw himself against me. Before the others could hit the deck, a swarm of needles struck out from nowhere and the crew fell, unconscious. Jack stood, pistol drawn.

"Lam shiky pentai!" he shouted, "Iki tam tam!" I stared at him,

"What the hell are you saying?" He didn't look at me,

"I don't know." Several half-naked men emerged from the trees, painted and pierced with bones. They all gazed at Jack before dropping down in a bow,

"Ook dah-lah Eseepi!" They cried, "Eseepi!" Half of them rose and began to drag me and the others away,

"Jack? Jack!" He grinned nervously at me as they raised him up on their shoulders. My world went dark when I felt a pinprick in the side of my neck.

When I woke, Gibbs and Marty were leaning over me. I blinked, confused by the swaying sensation.

"What the hell happened?" I asked groggily.

"We were attacked," Marty said,

"I got that part." I sat up,

"Now Ashlyn," Gibbs began sounding a little nervous, "Everything's going to be alright,"

"Gibbs, what are you-" I glanced down to see a river, miles and miles away. I screamed. We were trapped in giant woven balls, the kind you see sold at pet stores for hamsters and mice, "You've gotta be KIDDING ME!!" I wailed.

"Calm down!" Marty shouted. I hugged my knees.

"Oh God." I moaned.

"Ashlyn calm down!" Poppins barked from my back. I shut my eyes and forced myself to breath,

"Okay, okay." I swallowed, "I'm okay, I'm okay."

"Good God." I heard someone mutter from another cage.

"Fuck you." I snapped. I shuddered. "Alright. What happened?" I looked up to see human skulls adorning our spherical prisons.

"We were captured by Pelegostos,"

"The who?"

"A cannibalistic group of people. They think Jack is the human form of their god."

"I don't like how this is going." My lip curled. "Tell me no more."

We sat around for a few minutes before I asked,

"Where's the rest of the crew?" Cotton stared at the cage. I followed his gaze to the bones. I hugged my knees tighter and buried my face, wishing for Jack or Will. _Will_… _Probably married by now…Knowing Jack, I'll never get to see him again…_ Without warning, our cage jerked as we were pulled up. We met with several Pelegostos who carried giant spears and a familiar form…

"Will!" They pushed him off the pole and inside of our cage. Tying it shut, they lowered us back down. Helping him out of his bonds, I embraced him,

"Why did you disappear like that?" He asked softly,

"It was for the best." I whispered. Pulling back, he surveyed our surroundings and angrily looked at Gibbs,

"Why would he do this to us?" he demanded, "If Jack is their chief-"

"Aye, the Pelegostos made Jack their chief. But he only remains chief as long as he acts like a chief." Gibbs informed him.

"So he had no choice. He's a captive then as much as the rest of us." Will said slowly.

"Worse... as it turns out. See, the Pelegostos believe that Jack is a _god_ in human form. And they intend to do him the honor of releasing him from his fleshy prison." Gibbs' lip curled. Cotton bit Gibbs' fingers to illustrate, resulting in an unpleasant crunching sound. Gibbs swore. "They'll roast him and eat him."

"Where's the rest of the crew?" Will asked.

"These cages we're in... weren't built 'til _after_ we got here." Will jerked his hand away. I took it in my own and he gave me an odd look. "The feast is about to begin. Jack's life will end… when the drums stop."

"Well, we can't just sit here and wait then, can we?"

"And what," I began, "Do you propose we do?" I raised my eyebrow as Will grinned.

"Push and pull."

Before I knew it, we were throwing ourselves against one side of the cage causing it to swing like a pendulum, closer and closer to the wall of earth. With another cry, we flung ourselves forward. Snatching the vines, we held on as tight as we could. I noticed that the other members were in a similar position.

"Put your legs through, start to climb!" Gibbs ordered.

"Come one men! It'll take all the rest to crew the _Black Pearl_!" Will shouted, trying to raise our morale.

"Actually," Leech called from his cage, "You won't need everyone. About six would do!" Both teams stopped.

"Oh shit," I muttered. Gibbs nodded.

"Hurry!" and our team began to climb as fast as we could.

"Come on!"

"Go, go, go!"

"Come on! Give it all you've got!"

"Jesus, I feel like I'm in high school again," I grumbled. I looked up to see a cannibal crossing the rope bridge. "Shhhh! You guys! Stop!" They looked at me and I pointed up.

"Stop!" Will hissed. Everyone stopped, shushing each other. We waited on baited breath while the others decided to risk climbing. My eyes widened and I tugged on Will's sleeve, pointing at the other group. We watched as one man pulled a snake instead of a vine. With a shriek, he let go. The jolt caused the others to falter and their cage fell into the chasm. I winced,

"Move!" Will barked. We climbed until we reached the top. Out of breath I shouted,

"Cut it loose! Find a rock! Use anything!" We ripped at the vines and looked up, only to see a mass of cannibals stampeding towards us.

"Roll the cage!" Will bellowed. I grasped the bars, holding on as tightly as I could. Will's hand clasped over mine and we began to roll. Falling down a hill, we picked up speed and flew over the edge of a small cliff. The lot of us were screaming as we rolled up a palm tree and crashed back down. The cage was still intact. I let out a colorful string of words as Will stood,

"Lift the cage!" he said.

"Come on men!" Gibbs roared, "Lift it like a ladies skirt," and for that moment, I couldn't contain my laughter. We hitched up and ran, save Marty whose legs were too short to reach the ground. I tripped and we rolled over a small hill. We were airborne for a second before plummeting down, screaming. We fell through a ledge and plunged into an icy river. The air was knocked out of my chest and I felt Will grab my arm and pull me up. I broke through the surface, gasping for air. The cage had split in half. The cannibals threw spears and aimed arrows at us from above,

"This way lads!" Gibbs called. We swam towards a rock wall.

"Ashlyn, are you alright?" Will asked as he floated beside me,

"Oh yeah," I wheezed, "I'm just _peachy_." They fired more deadly projectiles at us until we heard someone shouting in their native language. Without a second thought, they disappeared into the trees.

Gibbs was the first to the _Pearl_. To my surprise, Pintel and Ragetti already had half the work down.

"Hey kids," I panted, "Never thought I'd see you two again! Jin, give him back his eye."

"Where's Jack? I won't leave without him!"

"OI!" We turned to see Jack, sprinting towards us with an army of cannibals behind him.

"Time to go," Will said faintly as he pushed me in front of him. I climbed up to the deck and reached behind me to pull Will up.

"Cast off those lines!" Gibbs shouted. I heard Jack screaming as he ran towards us. He finally caught up and launched himself at the rigging. Holding on he said,

"Alas my children, this the day you shall always remember as the day that you almost-" A great wave splashed down on him and I laughed. "Captain Jack… Sparrow." Still giggling, I pulled him on board.

"Let's put some distance between us and this island, and head out to open sea." Gibbs said stoutly.

"Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only insofar as we keep to the shallows as much as possible." Pintel and Ragetti brushed off invisible dust from Jack's coat until he turned to look at them.

"Uh, that seems a bit contradictory, Captain."

"I have every faith in your reconciliatory navigational skills, Master Gibbs, now where is that monkey? I want to shoot _something_." I groaned,

"Jack, leave Jin alone. That accounts as animal cruelty." Jin dropped Pintel's wooden eye, which he quickly scooped up, cleaned and popped back in.

"Jack," Will approached us.

"Ah." He looked him up and down.

"Elizabeth is in danger." Jack walked forward, pistol in hand.

"Elizabeth?" I echoed.

"Have you considered keeping a more watchful eye on 'er? Maybe just lock her up somewhere." Will and I followed Jack.

"She _is_ locked up, in a prison, bound to hang for helping _you_!"

"There comes a time when one must take responsibility for one's mistakes." Jack replied, walking up the stairs. Will whipped out another crewmember's cutlass, holding it against Jack's neck. I stepped between them,

"Will, stop it." There was a panicky tone to my voice that I hoped they didn't hear.

"I need that Compass of yours, Jack. I must trade it for her freedom." There was a tense beat before Jack brushed the sword aside like it was nothing.

"Mister Gibbs!" He moved past him and Will looked at me. I averted his gaze.

"Cap'n." Gibbs responded from the wheel.

"We have a need to travel upriver." He paused.

"By 'need,' d'you mean a... trifling need, uh, fleeting, as in say in a passing fancy?" The hope was blatantly obvious in his voice.

"No, a... resolute and unyielding need."

"What we need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste." Will argued, trying to take on the air of a commander. Jack wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I looked at him with confusion.

"William... I shall trade you the Compass, if you will help me... to find _this_." He pulled out the cloth with the image of the key.

"You want me to find this?" He asked with a mixture of frustration and disbelief.

"No. _You_ want you to find this. Because the finding of this finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating and your discovering the detecting of a way to save your dolly belle ol'… what's-her-face. Savvy?" I rolled my eyes. Trust _Jack_ to remember a name.

"This… is going to save Elizabeth?" Will asked in disgust.

"How much do you know about Davy Jones?" Jack asked, in all severity. Will paused.

"Not much."

"Yeah, it's gonna save Elizabeth."

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	3. In the Bayous

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 3: In the Bayous

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When I awoke one morning, I was tangled up in Jack. I shifted, looking at him. He cracked open one eye before pulling me closer. He kissed me, saying,

"Mmm, go back to sleep love." I smiled, kissing him back.

"Jack it's morning."

"That's why you need to go back to sleep." I rolled my eyes. Trying to untangle myself, I made a move to get up. Jack yanked me back down. I yelped. "I'm comfortable." He said, eyes still shut. I sighed.

"That's nice." We were quiet for several more minutes. "I love you." I said, very softly. Part of me prayed that he didn't here me.

"I love me too." I snorted. Leave it to Jack to ruin a good moment. "I do love you." He breathed into my hair and a smile tugged at my lips.

----

"How much do you know of Davy Jones?" Will asked. I looked up from my seat in the crow's nest. I shrugged,

"Not that much. He's not that big in American culture. I mean, the most anyone's heard of him is the traditional," I shaped my hand into the universal symbol for a gun and put my fingertips under my chin saying, "On my word do as I say, or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker." I chuckled, "Sound familiar?" Will colored faintly.

"It was all I could do."

"You could've listened to Jack," He looked at me sharply, anger in his eyes.

"Why do you always side with him?"

"No I don't." I said automatically,

"You do." Silence ensued, and then, "Do you love him?" I blanched.

"What?" I choked out. Will tried his hardest to look me in the eye.

"Do you love him?" he repeated, slowly flushing.

"I- yeah. I do." I said rather lamely. I hid my face behind the curtain of my hair, hugging my knees tightly, "But I love you too and I- ugh never mind. I sound like a soap opera gone retarded, if that's possible." Will was quiet and so we left it at that.

By midday, we reached a river that flooded into the sea. Gibbs, Pintel, Ragetti and Marty were getting ready to go. I heard squawking and I looked down to see Jack shove Jin into a make-shift wooden cage. Eyes wide, I climb down as fast as I could, shortly joined by Will.

"Jack! What are you doing?" I ran over and held the cage, trying to calm the monkey down.

"The person we're seeing," He said, climbing into a boat, "Demands payment for services." I shifted Poppins slightly as I went to join Will and Gibbs in another boat. I stayed silent as we rowed out to the river, making our way inland. The area around us quickly transformed into a swampy bayou, with twisted roots and hanging vines.

"Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?"

"Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast does the bidding of Davy Jones. A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off. And drag an entire ship past the crushing darkness. The Kraken!" Marty turned at the sound of the word and Pintel and Ragetti glanced at each other. "They say the stench of its breath is like - ooh! Imagine: The last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken, and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses." He suddered before looking at Will and I, "If you believe such things."

"And the key will spare him that?" Will sounded dubious.

"Now that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough even to go visit... _Her_,"

"Her?"

"Aye." Gibbs nodded, glancing around uneasily. I looked at me feet, unsure of what to think or say. I felt Will's hand on my shoulder and he gave me a reassuring smile. I watched as our surroundings slowly became slightly inhabited. Men, women and children watched us from the edges of the river.

"No worries, mates." Jack began as he climbed to a small platform with a ladder, "Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable we are. Were. Have been. Before." I rolled my eyes at his uncertainty.

"We'll watch your back" I said confidently.

"It's me front I'm worried about"

"Mind the boat." I heard Gibbs say to someone behind us. Jack peeked into the window and I impatiently tapped on his shoulder. He slowly pushed the door open.

"Jack Sparrow!" I saw a woman with pecan skin sitting at a table. I shivered. Something seemed to emit from her, a strange feeling. I heard Poppins swallow from behind me,

"Please don't recognize me, please, please, _please_."

"You _know_ her?" I hissed.

"Tia Dalma!" She sauntered over to us, her fine, tattered dress flickering like fire as she walked.

"I always know de wind was goin' blow you back to me one day." She caressed his cheek and I looked down. "You." I herd her say, "You have a touch of... destiny about _you_, William Turner." She looked at me, "And you," she lifted my chin with finger, "You are not from this world child." I snorted.

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know,"

"Get to know me and I might." She winked and I grinned at her mild flirtation.

"There'll be no knowing here. We've come for help and we're not leaving without it." Jack pushed her forward, "I thought _I_ knew you."

"Not so well as I had hoped. Come."

"Come." Jack echoed, motioning Will and I forward.

"What... service... may I do you? Hmmm?" She lightly trailed her fingers over Will's cheek as he sat. Rudely, I sat on his lap. "You know I demand payment." She only looked amused by my ploy.

"I brought payment." He whistled and someone handed him Jin's cage, "Look." He shot Jin with his pistol, "An undead monkey. Top _that_." He set the cage down on her table. She opened the cage and Jin ran out, chattering inanely.

"No! You've no idea how long it took us to catch that." Gibbs looked exasperated.

"The payment is fair." Tia Dalma said, ignoring him.

"We're looking for this." Will splayed the cloth down on the table to show her, "And what it goes to." She looked down at the image for a moment.

"The Compass you bartered from me. It cannot lead you to dis?"

"Maybe. Why?" She sat, a strange smile on her face. I shifted, placing an arm around Will's neck so he'd be more comfortable. Jack glanced at me with narrow eyes.

"Ayeee... Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants! Or... do know, but are loathe to claim it as your own." Our eyes met and I felt as if Tia felt a little sad for me. I shook the feeling off. "Your key go to a chest, and it is what lay inside the chest you seek, don't it?"

"What _is_ inside?" Gibbs leaned forward.

"Gold! Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?" Pintel grasped at his hopes almost childishly. I couldn't blame him.

"Nothing... _bad_, I hope." Ragetti gulped, turning his eyes away from the jar of eyeballs.

"You know of... Davy Jones, yes? A man of de sea. A great sailor, until he ran afoul of dat which vex all men."

"What vexes all men?" Will asked, curious.

"What, indeed." She looked directly at me. I swallowed.

"The sea?" Gibbs questioned.

"Sums!" Pintel supplied.

"Dichotomy of good and evil." Ragetti said. We all gave him a strange look.

"A _woman_." Jack finally stated, looking annoyed.

"A wo_man_. He fell in love." Tia Dalma looked smug.

"No-no-no-no, I heard it was the _sea_ he fell in love with." Gibbs looked and sounded unconvinced.

"Same story, different versions, and all are true." She waved her hand impatiently, "See, it was a _woman_, as changing, and harsh, and untamable as the sea. Him never stopped loving her. But the pain it cause 'im was too much to live wid. But not enough to cause him to die."

"What... exactly did he put into the chest?" Will was getting impatient.

"Him heart."

"Literally, or figuratively?" Ragetti looked hopeful at the prospect of it being figurative.

"He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest!" Pintel slowly turned his head, "Could he?"

"It was not wort' feeling what... small fleeting joy life brings, and so... him carved out him heart, lock it away in a chest, and hide de chest from de world. De keys, he keep wid him at all times," Will rose, hands leaving my waist.

"You knew this." His voice was venomous.

"I did not." Jack replied, "I didn't know where the key was. But now we do. So all that's left is to climb aboard the _Flying Dutchman_, grab the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass, hey!" He turned to leave. Tia Dalma stood, reaching out her hand.

"Let me see your hand." She ordered sternly. Jack offered her one hand, but her glare caused him to give her the correct one. He rolled his eyes like a little kid. She unrolled the cloth. The spot looked like a festering burn.

"Uhhh! The black spot!" Gibbs panicked, quickly wiping his hands on his chest, turning around and spitting. Tia looked remotely disgusted.

"Black spot!"

"Black spot!" Pintel and Ragetti copied Gibbs' ritual in perfect harmony.

"My eyesight's as good as ever, just so you know." Jack informed them, his words tinged with sarcasm. Tia disappeared behind a curtain of fishing net. The clattering of pots and pans was accompanied by her questions,

"Where are you my little beauty?" I heard something break, "Such a mess after so long…" Slowly, I walked forward, looking around the corner to where Jin had disappeared to. There was a pair of boots at the end of a bench but before I could get a better look, Tia emegered.

"Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow. And so you will carry land wid you..." She handed Jack a great jar. We all looked at him. I hid the smile on my face with my hand.

"Dirt. This is a jar of dirt." Jack looked skeptical.

"Yes?" Tia was unfazed.

"Is the... jar of dirt going to help?"

"If you don' want it, give it back."

"No." He clung to the jar like a kid with his favorite stuffed animal.

"Den it helps."

"It seems" Will turned to her, heaving an annoyed sigh, "We have a need to find the _Flying Dutchman_." Tia grinned, sitting down. She scooped up a bunch of crab claws. Shaking them, she said,

"A touch… of destiny!" They spilled out of her hand, "Dis is where you will find the _Flying Dutchman_." Ragetti whipped out a piece of parchment from his jack and she offered him a quill. As he began to make a rough map, Tia stopped Jack with a touch of her hand. "Wait a moment Jack. I want ta talk wid de girl." She looked at me and I sat down.

"We'll be out in the boats," Will said to me. He glanced at Tia warily before leaving with the others. We studied each other for a moment before she said,

"Let me see your bag." Carefully, I removed Poppins and handed him to her. "Poppins!" Her eyes brightened, a grin spreading across her face.

"Hello Tia," He grumbled.

"How…?" I was a bit dazed. I had meet Poppins in the _twenty-first_ century.

"Poppins was a man once." She informed me, "Who came to me, asking to be able to produce anyting he wanted." She glared at him ruefully, "But he tried to cheat me outta my payment, so I turn him into a bag." I raised my eyebrows.

"Huh." She handed him back to me, "Way to go." I mumbled to him.

"Shove it." I heard him hiss. Returning my attention to Tia I said,

"What did you want to talk with me about?" She leaned forward, observing me before replying,

"You are in love wid two men." I flushed, staying silent, "And in doing so, you 'ave wronged another woman." I opened my mouth to say something but she hushed me, "I am not here to preach you child. But you must be _careful_. Jack Sparrow isn't a man to simply be fickle wid. If he wants something, it is his until de end." I swallowed,

"And Will?" She looked at me thoughtfully.

"Take dis." From her bodice, she pulled out a necklace. It was a stone wrapped in silver wire. It was colorless and gleamed in the candle light.

"How do I-"

"You will know. When de time is right." She gave me an affection smile and took my hands as we stood.

"Don't I owe you some kind of payment?" I asked suspiciously. She grinned, leaned in and kissed me.

"Dere. I took me payment." I flushed before she became serious once more. "Be careful Ashlyn Woods. Love is a powerful ting."

"Thank you." I said softly. I turned and left.

I had experimented in my high school days with other girls and kissing Tia was no different. But I resented the look that Jack gave me as I tucked her gift into my shirt. He looked away, ignoring me as I sat with Will. I didn't speak as we rowed back to the _Pearl_.

----

Hope this proved satisfactory to you guys.

Reviews are Love,

The Idiot Author


	4. To Lie and Betray

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

A/N: I don't know why, JeanieBeanie33's review made me crack up.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 4: To Lie and Betray

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It was a surprisingly short amount of time before we reached the jagged rocks that harbored the _Flying Dutchman_. I stayed in the crow's nest during the day, avoiding Will and Jack when I could, but I couldn't avoid the captain at night. I tried to ignore the unusually tight grip around my waist and Tia Dalma's prophetic warnings.

The wind and rain was fierce as I came to the deck, feeling the cold pass straight through me. I stood beside Will at the rail; Jack and Gibbs were behind us, looking comically apprehensive.

"_That's_ the _Flying Dutchman_?" Will's voice was a blend of disgust and skeptics. "She doesn't look like much." He was right. The ship itself was cracked in two, her sails filthy and ripped to shreds,

"Neither do you. Do _not_ underestimate her." I heard Jack kick Gibbs and I turned to them in suspicion. Gibbs fumbled before saying,

"Must've run afoul of the reef." I narrowed my eyes and returned my gaze to the ship.

"So what's your plan, then?" Jack asked, eyeing Will in a strange mixture of curiosity and amusement.

"I row over, search the ship until I find your bloody key." Will sounded impatient and I placed a hand on his shoulder. He ignored me and I pulled back, wishing that the cold would make me numb.

"And if there are crewmen?" Jack prodded, noting my discomfort.

"I cut down anyone in my path." I rolled my eyes. Ever the devoted dog. But I instantly regretted my thoughts as I saw the look on his face. I briefly wondered if Will would ever go through all the trouble to save me before savagely pushing it away. I didn't even want to think about what Jack would do.

"I like it. Simple, easy to remember."

"Your chariot awaits you, sire!" Ragetti crowed. I watched as Will began to climb down the ladder.

"Hey! If you _do_ happen to get captured, just say Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt! Might save your life!" With a start, I hurriedly followed him.

"Ashlyn, what are you doing?" Any falsehood left Jack's voice and I swore I heard a tinge of panic.

"I'm going with him." I didn't look at either man.

"No," Jack's voice was hard. He was using his captain's voice, "You're not."

"_Yes,_ I am!" I looked at him and despite my harsh tone, I pleaded with him. "It'll be faster if I go with Will." Without waiting for his reply I settled into the rowboat, grabbing the oars as Will stared at me.

"Bon voyage!" Ragetti cackled as he pushed us off. I looked past Will, gritting my teeth as I rowed on.

"You shouldn't have come."

"Well, I did." I snapped. I was sick of all the tension and the weird looks, "Now either shut up or talk about something else, like the weather." The two of us glanced up and we grimaced,

"Fancy that subject." He replied, handing me the lantern and taking the oars from my hands. The rest of the trip was silent and as I glanced back the _Pearl_, I noticed that all the lights had gone out.

Will went aboard first and pulled me up. I tied the boat to one of the more stable pieces of woof as he cautiously looked around, lantern in hand. We spotted a man, yanking a pulley and ventured over. He was wounded, bloodshot eyes wide.

"Bring up the round turn. Captain's orders." He stammered. I waved my hand in front of his face before I glanced at Will.

"He's in shock." I said softly.

"Sailor!" Will tried. The man kept pulling.

"Hoisting the jib. Captain's orders."

"Sailor!" He tried again.

"Hoisting the jib. Bring up with a round turn."

"There's no use. You've run aground." Will tried to explain. I gripped his sleeve, hair plastered to my face. He finally took notice of us, shaking.

"No! Beneath us! Foul breath!" He blabbered. My eyebrows furrowed and I took a step back, pulling Will with me. There was a great splash behind us and we looked around. There was whimpering and it was a man, pulling himself up onto our side of the deck before going limp. Will left my side to investigate.

"Hey! Hey!" Will turned him over. I screamed. The man's face was gone, in its place was puckered flesh, bulging like a pestilence. A fierce rumbling penetrated the air, I rushed to the railing to see a massive ship made of bone and coral emerge from the churning sea. The bow was like crocodile's head that glared at my humanity.

"Holy shit…"

Men of the sea pried themselves from the ship and, laughing, grabbed living crewmen, shoving them.

"Down on your marrowbones, and pray." My eyes went to Will who was cornered by a rock and kelp man with two ball and chains. He swung and Will evaded him, using the ropes to his advantage. Another unearthly crewmember attacked him. I felt cold, slimy hands on the back of my neck.

"A woman on a ship." I heard to voice chuckle, "Seems like pirating has gone to the dogs…" I spun, delivering a successful hook kick that sent him flying into the sea. My back met Will's and he dipped his sword into oil, cutting into the lantern. The sword blazed and he circled around me.

"Get back!" They goaded him and I felt my anger and the past several months since I arrived in the Caribbean's frustration rise in me. "Back!" He sliced open the stomach of one of the sea creatures and instead of blood, fish spilled out onto the deck, alive and squirming. He stepped back and was clubbed over the head. I scooped up the flaming sword as they laughed. I spun out, a trick I had seen people do in fire poi. The flames licked the air, hissing in the rain. A few of them howled in pain. There was a tussle and I felt the sword knocked out of my hands. They wrestled me into submission but not without a few spinning heads. When Will came to, we were lined up with the rest of the living crew on our knees along the railing. Most of them were shaking, cowering and whimpering. I bowed my head.

"Six still alive. The rest have moved on." I heard someone say. I glanced up to see a giant of a man with a beard of tentacles writhing and squelching. He paused before a shaking man, two spots down from me. I watched as he clenched his lobster claw of a hand. He casually lit a pipe and puffed before addressing the man.

"Do you fear death?" Smoke billowed from one of his tentacles and his lighter went out. "Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare. All your sins punished." He snorted. "I can offer you... an escape-uh."

"Don't listen to him!" A voice shouted and I briefly wondered if it was my conscience talking. I peeked my head out to see a man, a rosary in his shaking hands. This man, who I presumed to be Davy Jones, walked down the line and took the man's head in his claw.

"Do you not fear death?" He asked, puffing on his strange pipe.

"I'll take my chances, Sir." I felt my heart go out to him for being so brave, something, I noted with deep depression, Jack might never do.

"To the depths." Jones spoke, his voice sickeningly sweet. Will turned towards me, looking at the deck and trying to block my view. I watched in silent horror as they slit his throat and tossed the man into the waters as they cackled away.

"Cruel blackguard!" Another kneeling man condemned.

"Life is cruel." Jones replied with a patronizing tone. He tapped his pipe on his claw. "Why should the afterlife be any _different_?" He began to sound angry and he turned to the next man in line. "I offer you a choice. Join my crew, and postpone the judgment. One hundred years before the mast. Will ye serve?"

"I - I will, serve." He stuttered, eyes filled with a damned hope.

"Grand." Jones and his crew chuckled. He came towards us and I caved my body against Will.

"_You _are neither dead nor dying. What is your purpose here?" I kept my head down, hoping he wouldn't notice me. Will looked a bit lost, searching for an answer that would save his life. I nudged him.

"Jack Sparrow sent me to settle his debt." He spewed quickly.

"What is your purpose here?" The confusion in Jones' voice was almost comical.

"Jack Sparrow. He sent me to settle his debt."

"Huh! Did he, now?" He was filled with a malicious glee. "I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer." I felt a strange sensation as Will took my hand and we were suddenly back on the _Pearl_.

"Oh." Jack lowered the spyglass to be eye to eye with Davy Jones. Will and I were pulled apart and I saw several of Jack's crew held at knife point against their throats.

"You have a debt to pay." Davy Jones said accusingly. "You've been captain of the _Black Pearl_ for thirteen years. _That _was our agreement."

"Technically, I was only captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon." Jack smoothly replied.

"Then you were a poor captain, but a _captain_ nonetheless!" He walked past Jack to entertain his crew. "Have you not introduced yourself all these years as _Captain_ Jack Sparrow?" They laughed.

"You have my payment. One soul to serve on your ship is already over there." I stared at Jack. He was going to _trade_ Will to save his own life?

"One soul is not equal to another." Jones snapped.

"Aha! So we've established my proposal is sound in principle, now we're just haggling over price."

"Jack, you ASSHOLE!" I shouted, flailing and kicking. My captors grunted and tightened their grips. Davy Jones reeled towards me, arm raised,

"Blast, woman can't ye keep your mouth sh-" He froze and stared at me. I glared back with all the venom I could muster. After a few hard moments, he turned back to Jack.

"Price? Pttt!" His upper lip popped, cool seemingly regained.

"Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?" Jack challenged, voice slick with a dare. Jones glanced at his crew, a small smile on his face.

"One hundred souls, three days-uh."

"You're a diamond, mate. Send me back the boy, I'll get started right off." He turned and walked toward the railing before the hammer headed crewmember blocked his path with a snarl.

"I keep the boy. A good-faith payment. That leaves you only ninety-nine more to go." He and the crew began to laugh.

"Have you not met Will Turner?" Jack asked, suddenly sounding like Will was the newest shit on television. "He's noble, heroic, _terrific _soprano. Worth at least four... maybe three and a half. And did I happen to mention... he's in love. With a girl." Jones stared at Jack as if he had been struck. "Due to be married. Betrothed" Jack began to circle him, slowly, his voice tempting and suave._ "_Dividing him from her and her from him..." He trailed off dramatically. "Would only be half as cruel as actually allowing them be joined in holy matrimony. Aye?" A certain softness passed over Jones' face before his resolution returned ten fold.

"I keep the boy." He caught my eye as I struggled against his crewmembers. He stalked over to me, inspecting my face. I locked my knees to keep from shaking. "Ninety-eight souls-uh." Jack grinned,

"So we're in agreement that the boy is worth at least tw-"

"I want the girl too." His voice deadly and I knew Jack could hear the ghost of catastrophe if Davy Jones didn't get what he wanted. I searched Jack's face but he didn't meet my gaze. He stared at the floor before looking up.

"What does she have to do with anything?" Davy Jones raised an eyebrow.

"Does this mean the lass means something to you?" He cracked a grin that I could see straight through.

"Then I would have a harem if all the lasses I've been with meant something to me." My jaw dropped. _No FUCKING way…_

" But I wonder, Sparrow, can you live with this?" He mocked Jack with an imitation of how he spoke to him. "Can you condemn innocents - friends - to a lifetime of servitude, in your name while you roam free?" Jack glanced to the side for a moment. I held my breath.

"Yep!" He suddenly replied, voice cheerful, "I'm good with it. Shall we seal it in blood? I mean... mm-mm - ink?"

"You WHORE." I shrieked. "Jack, how can you do this?"

Jones grabbed Jack's hand, tentacle like fingers wrapping and squelching around Jack's hand.

"Uh!"

"Three days." Jones said with a certain finality.

"Three days." The crew repeated, chuckling.

"Jack! JACK!" But he turned his back and I began to cry.

----

So I know that's not _exactly _how it happens, but… yeah… For my own purposes, this is how we're rolling.

Love,

The Idiot Author


	5. Taking One For the Team

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 5: Taking One For the Team

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They had locked me in the captain's cabin and dragged Will off to God knows where. I cried for hours. Poppins was back on the _Pearl_. Jack had sold me to save his ass. Will was gone… I was alone, for the first time in a long time. After I could cry no more tears, I tried to clean my face with the dirty sleeve of my shirt. The door opened and Davy Jones walked in. I scrambled to my feet, fists clenched at my side.

"Where's Will?" I demanded. Davy Jones raised an invisible eyebrow. Ignoring my childish remark, he threw a dress at me.

"Your clothes are wet-uh. Wear this." I glared.

"I want to see Will." He snorted and turned away. I unfolded the dress and glanced it over. It was a dark blue, the seams on the bodice riddled with pearls. The center section of the bodice was embroidered with a Celtic knot in silver. The sleeves were in two layers, one belling out over the closed one. "I can't put this on by myself." I stated, fighting down the bundle of nerves in my throat. "I need Will to help me." I kept my eyes on the dress, not daring to look at the captain. There was a few moments of silence before he slammed the door. I waited on baited breath, hugging the dress and staring at the door. Minutes ticked by until finally, Will was shoved through the entrance. The door snapped shut behind him. I dropped the dress and ran into his arms, crying. He held me close, stroking my hair.

"It's alright Ashlyn, it's alright. I'm here." I pulled away, furiously rubbing my eyes.

"Can you help me with this?" I mumbled, picking up the dress.

"Ashlyn, we have to get out of here."

"How?" I asked wearily. "The only way we could get out is if knew where Davy Jones kept his key. I mean, that is why we came aboard in the first place, isn't it?" Will looked at me in a silent, baneful sort of way. I ignored his gaze and turned my back, beginning to undress. I threw my sullied clothes to the side until I was only in my underpants. I stepped into the dress, pulling it up. I turned, one hand placed on the bodice to prevent it from falling down. To my surprise, Will's eyes had been on me the entire time. For some strange reason, it made me flush. "Help me lace up will you?" I faced away from him again, and soon, I felt his fingertips on the bare skin of my back as he laced the dress. The shoulder of the dress sagged for a moment and before I could pull it up, Will's hand stopped me. I felt his fingers run across my shoulder.

"You're bruising." He said, a hard edge to his voice. I looked at my shoulder and shrugged,

"It's probably from the sailors." He didn't reply. When he finished, I turned. As always, my eyes were level with his collar bone and I saw a glimmer in the fabric. "You still have it." I smiled, gently brushing a finger on the face of the locket. A ghost of a smile passed over his lips.

"I didn't have the heart to take it off." I paused, drinking the words in. They changed in my head, instead being _I pity you and your folly love for Jack._

"Mmmm. That's depressing," My tone was slightly cooler. Confusion washed over his face.

"Ashlyn, are you-"

"I'm fine." I replied shortly. I looked away, unable to bare the look on his face.

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I know that this is really, really short, but I _love_ how this turned out and I can't wait any longer to post it. I HAVE YET TO SEE AT WORLD'S END. PLEASE DON'T COMMENT ON THE MOVIE IN YOUR REVIEWS. THANK YOU!!!

Reviews are Love,

The Idiot Author


	6. Her

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 6: Her

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I sat alone in a corner of a dark room. From time to time, lightening illuminated the space, but blinded me, so in the end, I still saw nothing. It didn't take long for Davy Jones and the crew to understand that I didn't like them and nor did I want them anywhere near me. Will came to me as often as he could, bringing me food and water. I was thankful for the grimy water, but I felt no desire to eat.

"Ashlyn, you have to eat more." He knelt before me, dry bread and hardtack in hand. I turned my face away.

"I'm not hungry." My voice was soft, barely a whisper past my chapped lips.

"Please." He was almost begging. I shut my eyes. Before I could answer, the door swung open and I could hear the padding of leather and the clunk of wood. Will didn't look over his shoulder, his hand on my arm.

"Ye got work to do boy-o." Davy Jones drawled. Will took a moment before standing. I kept my head to the side, his unspoken farewell roared in my ears. The door shut and I hugged my knees, the dress billowing to the sides. Davy Jones stood in the darkness. He said nothing to me, only watched. I felt the deep sigh in his chest before he released it, the ghost of a name riding its wave. He hobbled over to his organ and I shut my eyes as he began to play. It was the same haunting melody, every time. His tentacles splayed across the keys and his feet pounded the pedals. There were moments where I would awaken to the same melody, albeit softer and from a silver music box. I wondered the significance behind the song and the heart shaped box itself. I didn't dare ask.

"Why do you keep me here?" I croaked. He didn't look at me, only softened his playing.

"To the sailors who've been in my service for fifty years, anything woman shaped looks good to them,"

"Gee, thanks." I bit out sardonically. A few more bars of music floated by before I spoke up again, "Why did you take me from Jack?" The playing stopped.

"Ye mean somethin' to Jack Sparrow lass. That's worth a lot." My lips pressed together in a thin line. "That and…" his voice dropped, barely audible against the storm outside. "Ye remind me of _her_." Before I could ask, he began pounding away at the keys. I began to take a little comfort in Jones' visits. I soon figured out, after a bit of snooping, that I was in fact locked in his cabin. When he caught me poking around, he surprised me by maintaining calm. He told me to use the bed, as the grimy floor gave me unsightly dirt marks. I thanked him by throwing my shoe at his retreating figure. Time had become nonexistent to me. I didn't know if days or months or seconds went by. On and off Jones made little comments about this _her_ that I so strangely reminded him of. At one point he mentioned that I looked like how he imagined _she_ would've looked like.

"So she doesn't look anything like me?" He had shaken his head and went back to skimming over maps. "Well, _how_ do I remind you of her?"

"Let it go lass."

"Why?" I demanded, "Why won't you tell me? Who the fuck is she, huh?"

"Don't question me girl!" He had risen from his seat like a great wave. I jumped to my feet, hands clenched at my sides. He was a good two feet taller than me. I glared.

"You know, when you keep babbling on about how I remind you of some chick, I think I have the right to know who the fuck she is or at least how I fucking remind you of her!" Our glaring contest lasted a good forty-five seconds. His expression didn't soften.

"That's it." He snapped.

"What's it?"

"Your attitude, just now. Your volatility. That's what reminds me of her." And I was struck dumb, unable to forge a reply.

When he stormed out, I sank to the floor and buried my face in my hands. It sounded like something Jack would've said.

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This was absurdly short for how long it's been, so I apologies. But the next chapter will be longer, I promise. With lots of wonderful tidbits between Will and Ashlyn.

Reviews are Love,

The Idiot Author


	7. It Must Be Raining

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 7: It Must Be Raining

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I awoke to a strange kink in my neck and the tinkle of chains. A weight rested on my throat and my hand flew up to feel a metal collar. A connecting chain linked down to connect to a peg in the floor. My wrists were also shackled, limiting how high I could raise my arms by the sheer weight. Jones was at his organ, steam billowing from the pipes. His tentacle beard writhed and danced on the keys, a look of agony on his face. I could hear the slavish work of the crew on deck and the merciless crack of a whip. I stood, the ship rolling beneath me, and winced at the mass and the raw sensation of my skin against the aged iron.

"What's with the chains squid face?" I asked acidicly. The numerous candles that littered the area flickered and he did not stop playing.

"I have ta keep an eye on ye." He rumbled over the mournful notes. Before I could open my mouth, there was shouting and a great crash. I stumbled from the tremor. Jones stopped playing and swiftly rose. In one long, sweeping motion, he unclasped my neck chain from the collar. "Come." He ordered. I complied, scurrying after him. His stride, despite the mismatched legs, was long and I struggled to keep up with him. I felt disgusting and grimy, no matter how lovely the dress was in it's stage of decay. I felt like the ocean version of the Corpse Bride. The wind howled and the sea boiled in fury. As we neared, several of the crew were hauling Will to his feet. They held him in place and began to tether him. My eyes widened in horror. I spun to Jones,

"What are they doing? Stop them!"

"Five lashes will remind you to stay on them!" The Bo'sun cackled above the storm.

"No!" I craned my neck to see who had spoken. It was Bootstrap Bill. He gripped the Bo'sun's arm fiercely.

"Impending me on my duties," He sneered, "You'll share the punishment."

"I'll take it all." I was soaked to the bone, the dress clinging to me like wet seaweed. Jones pulled me forward, keeping me just behind him.

"Will you now?" He drawled. "And what would prompt _such_ an act of charity?" He stared the man down and I pushed through some crewmembers for a better view. Bootstrap lowered his gaze,

"My son." He turned to Will who jerked away from the carbuncle crewmember to gaze at his father in shock. "He's my son." Jones took several steps forward and looked between the two, as if searching for some family resemblance. I stood between two crewmembers, shivering in the downpour. The devilish captain began to laugh. It was a deep, mocking laughter, a great, spiteful _ha, ha_.

"What fortuitous circumstance be this!" His ridicule was cruel. "Five lashes be owed, I believe it is." His outstretched, tentacle hand was gifted with the Bo'sun's whip. Jones offered it to Bootstrap like a sacred artifact. Bill looked down at it in distress,

"No." He shook his head, "No, I won't!" My fingers curled and I held my tongue.

"The cat's out of the bag, Mr. Turner!" Jones proclaimed dramatically. "Your issue will feel it's sting, be it the Bo'sun's hand," He looked between father and son, "Or your own." I ran a nervous hand through my matted hair.

"No." He breathed again and I held my breath. Jones glared ice,

"Bo'sun!"

"No!" Bill wrenched the whip from the captain. He hesitated, staring at the whip in his hands to Jones and the crew. A malicious chuckle reverberated through the crowd. The creatures holding Will ripped the back of his shirt open, sadistically holding him in place. Bootstrap raised his arm. My eyes widened. His own _son_? He would do _that_ to his own fucking _son_?

"No!" I screamed, "No!" I ran forward and grabbed his arm. I began to beg. "No, please, no! Don't hurt him, please." One of the sailors grabbed me by the hair and yanked me to the ground. I hissed in pain. He pulled his hand back, another whip in hand.

"You want to feel the lash too, girl?"

"No!" Will shouted from his ropes, "Let her go!" He struggled viciously, "Don-"

"Don't lay a hand on the lass." Came Davy Jones' voice. It was low, like the rumble of thunder before the fury of the storm. "And anyone," the volume rose above the waves, "Who does so, I'll cut their throats myself." I swallowed the growing lump in my throat as Jones dragged me to my feet. My arms felt heavy and dead. I could only imagine the bruises forming on my hip from my impact on the deck. I forced myself to watch as Bootstrap brought the whip down on his son's back and each time, I felt my heart breaking.

When the five lashes were done, after what seemed like a hundred years, the yanked Will across the deck and tossed him down a stepladder, into the lower deck. I ran after him, pushing through the jeering crowd.

"Will!" Davy Jones caught my arm. I turned, snarling. I wrenched my arm away, "Leave me alone!" I cried. Gather the skirts, I climbed down and knelt by Will in the water.

"You had it easy boy!" Someone heckled.

"Fuck you!" I snapped over my shoulder. Will hand tightened around my own as I half cradled him in my lap. Bootstrap came down as well.

"Will-" He sounded so feeble. The younger Turner pushed himself up and stumbled away. I rose and followed him closely.

"I don't need your help!" He lashed out, yet unable to face either of us. Bootstrap stared at the angry red scores on his son's tan back.

"The Bo'sun prides himself on cleaving flesh from bone. With every swing." He tossed Will's vest onto the rungs that he leaned on for support.

"So I'm to understand that what _you_ did was an act of compassion?" Will demanded, facing his father.

"Yes." He turned away, the rain was the only, immediate noise. I pressed forward, gently placing a hand on Will's back. Bootstrap nodded to me.

"Mr. Turner," I murmured.

"I've seen you." He said, eyeing me suspiciously. "You were with Jack." I nodded. He was kind enough to leave it at that. I took Will's vest in one hand and pulled him to lean on me.

"C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up." He stood straight but placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I know a place." Bootstrap offered and I allowed him to lead the way. I ripped a section of my skirts and wiped away the excess blood on his back. Will took his vest from me with a soft thank you and slipped it on. He took my hand and gripped it protectively. "One hundred years at the mast, losing who you were, bit by bit," We were in the candle lit interior of the ship as Bootstrap continued, "Until you end up…" He glanced over to see a fully encrusted man on the hull wall. "End up like poor Wyvern here." He stared at Will, "Once you've sworn an oath to the _Dutchman_ there's no leaving it. Not until your debt is paid." It was a warning, sure and clear.

"We've sworn no oath." Will assured his father. Bootstrap leaned towards us and whispered,

"Then you must get away." Will and I glanced at one another before he pulled his hand away to fish the image of the key from his pocket.

"Not until I find _this_," He unfolded it, displaying it for Bill. "The key." There was a crackling noise and Wyvern opened an eye and pulled his head forward, leaving his brains on the wall.

"The dead man's chest." His voice was low, almost prophetic.

"What do you know of this?" Will stepped forward, trying to coax an answer out of him. Wyvern looked past us, as if to remember something he had long since forgotten,

"Open the chest with the key and stab the heart… No, no. _Don't_ stab the heart." He looked at us, eyes wide, "The _Dutchman_ needs a living heart or there'll be no captain. And if there's no captain, there's no one to have the key."

"So the captain has the key?" Will's eyes never left Wyvern's. The older, carbuncled sailor began to look lost and alarmed. "Where _is_ the key?"

"Hidden." He had retracted back to the wall.

"Where is the chest?"

"Hidden." And he shut his eyes. I swallowed, my hand creeping back to Will's. He looked down at me. I hesitated before whispering,

"Can you stay with me tonight?" He glanced back at his father who merely nodded and left, disappearing amongst the carbuncles and aged wood.

"Is there a place to stay?" He asked quietly, understanding my plea. I looked down at my feet.

"I could ask Jones maybe…"

"Ask me what?" We looked up sharply to see the said captain staring down at us from the upper deck. He clunked down the stairs to use. "Ask me what?" He repeated his voice soft and deadly. _One breath for strength_. I breathed in and matched his gaze.

"I want my own room and toiletries." He raised an invisible eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Fine." He said, probably thinking he was being charitable.

"I also want Will to room with me." Jones' eyes narrowed to thin slits.

"No."

"I'm spending the rest of eternity with you, aren't I?" I asked bitterly. "All I ask is that I can spend my nights with Will. That's all." He let out a snort of air through his nose. He spun away from us after several indignant moments.

"Follow me," he spat. I kept my grip consistent on Will's hand, as if he would disappear like a vapor. My chest grew tight and I felt the corners of my eyes searing. I swallowed my tired, frustrated tears and graciously thanked Jones for his generosity. He said nothing, only stormed off, leaving Will and myself in the room. I moved away from Will and to an iron pitcher and small washbasin. I took a soft rag and dipped it into the water. Ringing it out, I patted the bed,

"Take a seat." He removed his vest and torn shirt, his back to me. I gently ran the cloth over the cuts, his muscles taught beneath my fingertips.

"Ashlyn," he began. I shushed him.

"You're always watching out for me, even when you're in danger, like you did back there on deck." My voice was soft, "You're so much more reliable than he is, I don't even know if he's going to come for us…" I pressed my cool forehead on the space between his shoulder blades, "Is there something wrong with me? I mean, here I am, telling you as we're captive on a cursed ship that I don't know if I trust my love in Jack as much as I trust my love in yo-" I fell silent, a few words too late. I continued cleaning, keeping my eyes on his wounds. He shifted, turning to me and taking my wrists into loose grips. My eyes were downcast, away from his warm, brown ones that made my heart ache.

"Ashlyn, you are very dear to me." A drop of water stained my skirts. Then another. I looked directly into the ceiling.

"It must be raining." Will said nothing.

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Hoooooooo shit! Messed up love shapes! And to clarify, Jones does not love Ashlyn. But he's still human to some extent and she's a woman so he knows the rules.

Reviews are Love,

The Idiot Author


	8. To Neither Win or Lose

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 8: To Neither Win or Lose

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I sat at the foot of Jones' desk, fiddling with a puzzle box he had finally thrown at me to hush my incessant complaining. He mumbled to himself as he charted out maps with a rusting compass. He didn't say anything to me and only regarded me when I said something really stupid. I threw the box over my shoulders and crossed me arms in a huff.

"I'm bored." I whined, waiting to see how long it would take before Jones broke and would attempt to kill me. He reminded me of the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. Gruff and menacing, but he did provide for me what I asked. He looked up for a moment, staring into space before he rose.

"Come." He ordered and with a sigh, I got to my feet to chase after him. We left his cabin and he clunked across the upper deck. I shivered. It was still cold and the rain had slowed to a drizzle. "It seems your young William has a bone to pick with me." He rumbled and I froze. He began to laugh, that deep, callous, _mocking_ laughter that I had grown to hate. "I accept mate." I stood behind him, my heart in my throat when I saw Will. The crew had been playing on the ground and immediately scurried out of the way to make room for the captain. They set down a crate and a crusted slab of wood on top. They chuckled as they shoved Will down onto a seat. I ran to him. He looked at me as they set di and a cup in front of him. Will rose when Jones had made him way over.

"Don't do anything stupid." I whispered.

"The stakes?" Jones asked.

"My soul. An eternity of servitude." My eyes widened, my breath caught in my chest. Why, _why_ was it, that every time Jack and I told him specifically to not do something stupid, he did it anyway?

"No!" I heard Bootstrap somewhere in the crowd.

"Against?" The conceit and saintly attitude of Jones was beginning to drive me insane. Will pulled out the delicately folded cloth and threw it on the table.

"I want this." Jones stared at Will for a solid moment before picking up the cloth with his claw. He unfolded it and a ripple ran through the crew.

"The key." The cursed captain looked up, a cross between fury and astonishment. He threw down the drawing.

"How do you know of the key?"

"That's not part of the game, is it?" He sat down. "You can still walk away." Will matched Jones conceit and arrogance, a puff of confidence on his part. It took several drawn moments before Jones sat down. His tentacle beard seemed alive in agitation as a single tentacle drew the key from inside. I stared. There it was. The beginning and soon the end of all our problems. Jones placed the key back within the tentacles. Eyeing each other, they scooped the di into their cups and shook. Bootstrap's cup slammed onto the table with their own.

"What's this?" Jones demanded, bordering outrage.

"I'm in, matching his wager." Bootstrap settled in his seat. I glanced between the three of them.

"No. Don't do this." Will lowered his voice, leaning towards his father. He looked to his son.

"The di is cast." He said softly, almost matter-a-fact. "I bid three twos." Will looked frustrated and I could see his plan having to rethread itself. "It's your bid captain." Jones looked me square in the eye and chuckled.

"Four fours." The crew swayed with anticipation. Will hesitated and glanced at me.

"Four fives." Jones observed him for a moment be fore idly switching to Bootstrap.

"Six threes." Davy lifted his cup slightly and I saw a flicker in his calm,

"_Seven_ fives." Will and I shared a look, my hand on his sleeve tightened. He peeked at his di.

"Eight fives." Jones laughed.

"Welcome to the crew lad." He sneered.

"No." I begged. "Please."

"Twelve fives." Bootstrap offered hurriedly. "Twelve fives," He repeated. "Call me a liar, or up the bid."

"And be called a liar myself for my trouble?" Jones snapped. In a moment, he reached out and took away the leather cup. Bootstrap's red di told the truth. "Bootstrap Bill, you're a liar and will spend an eternity on this ship." He spat triumphantly. "Master Turner." He rose, scorn dripping from his voice. "Feel free to go ashore." He snorted, "The very next time we make port!" The crew laughed in malice. They followed their captain away like rats to the Pied Piper.

"Fool, why did you do that?" Will hissed. Bootstrap remained quiet.

"I couldn't let you lose."

"It was never about winning or losing." I swallowed and a look of realization dawned on his father's face.

"The key." He breathed, "You just wanted to know where it was." I looked at Will sharply.

"Just tell me your plan." I said, "And I'll make it happen."

"Ashlyn, no." He faced me squarely. "You're going to wait for me in a boat while I get the key."

"You won't even know when to go!" I accused. "You need my help, whether you like it or not."

"I don't want to endanger you." He said in exasperation.

"And I'm not a little girl. I can knock a guy in the head. You've seen me do it."

"That's not the point." Bootstrap watched in silence.

"I'm helping you and I don't want to hear anymore of your complaining, do you understand me?" His father raised an eyebrow,

"She sounds like your mother." And Will shushed me before I could retort.

When darkness fell and Jones fell into slumber after pounding away at the organ, I slipped out of his room. I heard some crewmembers snoring and I avoided the bunker rooms. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned a corner and collided with Will. He clamped a hand over my mouth, which I licked in jest. Humor had long since departed my life. He rolled his eyes but an affectionate smile betrayed him. I took his hand in mine and glanced at him to see no discomfort. I felt a warmth blossom in my chest. I picked up my tattered skirts in one hand and silently led him back to the organ room. By bare feet made no sound and Will quieted his steps. Steam rose from the miscellaneous pipes around the room and the candle light flickered against my brass locket that Will still wore around his neck.

We parted, circling to either side of the slumbering captain. Will carefully took a quill pen and sharpener and lifted Jones' tentacles. He snorted in his sleep and we froze. I looked to Will. I would have laughed at the comical expression on his face if our lives didn't depend on the silence. I glimpsed the key and snaked my arm around Jones to take the parchment cloth from Will. Holding my breath, I reached in and a tentacle slipped from the quill and struck a few organ keys. Jones stirred slightly but was lulled back to sleep by the music box that had begun to play. Will imitated a sigh of relief. Swallowing, I took the key and replaced it with the parchment. Will slowly lowered the tentacles and we left, a smile on our faces.

We reached Bootstrap as he began to meddle with a long boat. Will placed the key around my neck. Bootstrap handed him a bag.

"Here, take this too." It was a rusty knife. "Now get yourself to land and stay there." Will looked up at his father. "It was always in my blood to die at sea. But it was not a fate I ever wanted for you." Will unsheathed the knife.

"It was not a fate you had to choose for yourself either." He said bitterly.

"Aye. I could say I did what I had to, when I left you to go pirating, but it would taste a lie to say it wasn't what I wanted." Will glanced at him and I felt my heart swell with pity. "You owe me nothing, Will. Now go." A distress entered Will's demeanor.

"They'll know you helped me." Bootstrap laughed acrimoniously.

"What more can they do to me?"

"I take this with a promise." He held the knife before his father, "I'll find a way to sever Jones' hold on you. And not rest until this blade pierces his heart. I will not abandon you." His voice was wrought with emotion and I kept my hands at my side, not daring to intrude on this precious, family moment. "I promise." Will stepped past him and got into the boat. I embraced Bootstrap.

"You have a good son." I whispered.

"Keep him out of trouble Miss Ashlyn. You might be the only one he listens to." I swallowed the angst that bubbled up in my throat and departed with William.

We rowed in silence, putting as much distance as we could between us and the_ Flying Dutchman_. I'm not sure why the quiet was so comforting and soon, I noticed that Will had fallen asleep at the oars and only the waves pushed us onward. With a sigh, I pulled Will toward me and rested his head in my lap. In the vast expanse of sea, my mind began to wander. Where was Jack? Had he found the souls he needed? Was he even planning to rescue us? And Elizabeth? Knowing her, she wouldn't sit in prison all day, her father would have arranged something by now, wouldn't he? Was she with Jack, scheduling to come for us? Or was Jack sitting on a beach drinking rum without a care in the world? I scowled. He wouldn't do that to me, would he?

Could I trust my folly love in Jack?

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Reviews are Love,

The Idiot Author


	9. Back Again

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

A/N: aagghhhhhh everyone's forgotten about this fic! It makes me so sad... Ach.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 9: Back Again

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It was close to daybreak before I spotted another ship, Will still in my arms. We were pulled aboard and fussed over, ushered into the captain's room. Thick blankets were draped around us and steaming mugs of tea pressed into our hands. A look of recognition passed over the captain's face when he saw me, but he said nothing. Neither did the crew question Will's relation to me.

"Strange thing to come upon a longboat so far out in open waters." The captain said, eyeing us.

"Just put as many leagues behind us as you can. As fast as you can." Will shivered in his blanket. I said nothing.

"And what are we running from?" Will glanced around, grasping for an answer before he spotted something across the room. He rose.

"That dress. Where did you get it?" I looked at him and Elizabeth came to mind.

"It was found aboard the ship." The captain answered, "The crew it thought it was a spirit bringing some omen of ill fate." Will looked past them to me. He tossed aside the blanket and picked up the white and gold dress. It was beautiful and I knew it had been Elizabeth's wedding dress.

"That's foolish." He said softly, running his hands across the fabric.

"Oh, yes. Exceedingly foolish." One of the crew finally spoke up, albeit a little uncomfortably. I chuckled into my cup and they looked at me oddly.

"It brought good fortune!" The skinny man defended. "The spirit told us… Put in at Tortuga. And we made a nice bit of profit there."

"Off the books, of course." The captain jested.

"I imagine… some of your crew may have jumped ship there." Will said off handedly.

"Why do you ask?" The captain narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Captain, a ship's been spotted." A man hopped down from the deck, looking awry.

"Colors?" He demanded.

"She isn't flyin' any." Will and I glanced at each other. I stood and met him half way.

"Pirates!" The captain looked at us almost accusingly.

"Or worse." Will took my hand and pulled me after him. I tucked the key, still hanging around my neck into my bodice. The shackles suddenly felt heavier than I had grown accustomed to. We ran to the upper deck. Will scampered up the rigging and I leaned over the edge to glimpse the _Flying Dutchman._ I cursed and Will looked down at me.

"Will!"

"I've doomed us all." He breathed. He climbed higher to get a better look, almost as if he prayed to be wrong. But we both knew the truth. "It's the _Flying Dutchman_!" He called from the top sail. The ship jolted and I was thrown from my feet. Will slipped and grabbed a rope to halt a death fall.

"Will!" I screamed. "Get down!" The water churned and frothed angrily around the ship.

"Free the rudder!" I heard the captain order, "Hard to port then hard to starboard!"

Chaos arose as the captain was launched into the sea by a mighty tentacle. Screams of Kraken resonated throughout the ship as a bell tolled, almost signifying the death of the entire crew. Men retrieved harpoons and axes as the tentacles began to slither and slid onto the ship. I heard the mast crack in two as I looked to see one of the tentacles squeeze around it. I watched in horror as Will braced himself before jumping to the next mast in the fall. He missed the rope and I began to scream. He knifed the sail and caught a rope. I didn't spare a moment for a sigh of relief. I began to climb up after him. After fighting off a tentacle, he pulled me up beside him and held me tightly. We watched as the Kraken crushed the ship in two. We looked to each other and I kissed him. He said nothing, only stared, understanding that this could be the last moment we would be alive.

There was another crack and I felt the air fly from my lungs as the mast we stood on tumbled forward. We gripped each other's hands and dove into the sea. The impact of the water drove what little oxygen I had left out of me. I choked on the salty water and struggled to swim to the top. I surfaced and searched for Will. He came up not too far from me and motioned for me to swim with him to a broken part of the hull. The weight of the shackles and dress slowed me considerably. As I gasped for air while holding onto the wood, I saw the _Flying Dutchman_ make its slow approach,

"C'mon." Will said. He loosely tugged on my hand and we began our swim to the jaws on the bow of the fearsome ship. We climbed up the side just in time to witness the elimination of the surviving human crew. Will pushed my head down and ducked out of the way when Jones looked in our direction. We clung to the algae and barnacles, breathing as quietly as possible.

"The chest is no longer safe." We heard Jones say. "Chart a course to Isla Cruces. Get me there first, or there'll be the devil to pay." Will and I glanced at each other.

"First?" A crewmember asked. The captain's voice became ominously low and threatening.

"Who sent that thieving charlatan onto my ship?" I nearly snickered at the word charlatan. Will silenced me. "Who told them of the key? Jack Sparrow." Breathing deeply, I followed Will to the jaws of the creature that adorned the bow.

"How long do you think it will take for us to get there?" I asked. Will shrugged.

"It's a cursed ship. Shouldn't take that long." I laughed weakly.

"Um, Ashlyn."

"Yes?" I looked to him.

"About what happened, just then, when the Kraken attacked…?"

"Ah." I raised my eyebrows to keep from any emotion that would hinder me. "Yeah. Sorry.

"It's not- it's like I'm looking for an apology, it's just-"

"No. It's cool. I get it. Don't worry. Won't happen again." I looked straight ahead. "After all, you're engaged to Elizabeth and Jack thinks that I belong to him," He fell silent. We remained that way, only briefly speaking of what we could do to get the chest before Jones. "How are we even going to find the chest?" I asked in frustration. "Jones is the only one who knows where the fuck it is but it's not like he's going to tell us. Besides, he can't go on land. Tia Dalma said so."

"Well, there are two of us, and then the crew. What if we-" The ship jolted and began to sink.

"What the fuck is going on?" I demanded.

"It's going under!" Will looked around frantically. "There! That's probably Isla Cruces!" He glanced at me. "Do you still have the key?" I nodded. "Are you going to be alright with those?" He drifted off, abstractedly pointing at the shackles around my wrists and the collar around my neck.

"I'll be fine." I pushed him into the water and jumped after him. We swam as quickly as we could to the island. "Look!" I tapped him as we came closer, "It's Jack and Elizabeth!"

"Who's digging?" He asked, water muffling his voice. I shook my head.

"I don't know." We trudged onto land and closed in to hear,

"You actually _were _telling the truth."

"I do that quite a lot. Yet people are always surprised." My heart skipped a beat at the sound of Jack's voice.

"With good reason." Will called. The three turned around and I waved.

"'Sup kids. Long time no see." Elizabeth sprung up and ran over to us, completely ignoring me,

"You're alright, thank God!" They embraced and she sounded breathless, "I came to find you." Their tenderness touched me, but when they kissed, I rolled my eyes and trekked over to Jack.

"Darling!" He opened his arms. I took a leaf out of Giselle's book and slapped him with all the strength I could muster. "Bugger." I breathed deeply, fury bubbling in me despite my joy at the sight of him.

"You! I can't believe you!"

"How did you get here?" Jack asked the two of us, rubbing his face.

"Sea turtles mate." Will replied candidly. "A pair of them strapped to our feet." But his voice became bitter.

"Not so easy is it?" Jack tried to act nonchalant.

"But I do owe you thanks Jack."

"You do?" I curled my hands into fists, stepping back towards Will.

"After you tricked us onto that ship to square your debt with Jones-" Elizabeth looked at Jack in shock,

"What?"

"What?" Jack's voice peaked falsetto, imitating the Governor's daughter.

"I was reunited with my father."

"Oh… well… You're welcome, then."

"Everything you said to me… every word, was a lie!" Elizabeth approached Jack, her voice teetering on the edge of tears.

"Pretty much. Time and tide, love." I scoffed at his excuse.

"And how could you do that to Ashlyn?" Will asked, stepping towards him. "She loves you, you know that?" I flushed.

"Will, shut _up_!" He shook his head and held his hand out. I hesitated before handing him the key. He stooped down.

"Oi!" Jack turned abruptly to Will. "What are you doing.

"I'm going to kill Jones." Will stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Jack drew his sword.

"Jack!" I said warningly,

"I can't let you do that William." He looked precariously at the blade near his face. "'Cause if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?" Elizabeth stared with an open mouth. The other man went on, ignored. "Now. If you please: The key."

"Jack, leave him alone!" I gripped my hand around his and attempted to pull the sword back. We struggled for a moment before he shoved me away onto the sands.

"Ashlyn!" Will stood. Jack looked at me over his shoulder and I glared.

"I _hate_ you." I spat. He breathed in deeply for a moment and some emotion flickered in his gaze. It was gone long before I could decipher it. Will swiftly drew Elizabeth's cutlass.

"I keep the promises I make Jack." He pointed the sword at him, stepping in front of Elizabeth, "I intend to free my father. I hope you're here to see it." The other man whipped out his own sword.

"I can't let you do that, either. So sorry."

"Norrington?" I asked in disbelief from my seat in the sand. "Shit son. You look horrible."

"I knew you'd warm up to me eventually." Jack took a friendly step towards him. Norrington swung his sword at Jack's face.

"Lord Beckett desires the contents of that chest. I deliver it, and get my life back."

"Ah. The dark side of ambition." I stood, slowly inching towards Elizabeth.

"Oh, I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption."

"Something I think you're _quite_ familiar with Mister Sparrow." I drawled. I pulled her out of Norrington's lash at Will.

"Stop it!" She shouted indignantly. They ignored her, continuing in their three-way duel across the sands.

"I don't think they can hear you sweetheart," Jack grabbed the key, ducking a flurry of blows and ran. Norrington kicked Will in the chest. The two of us rushed to aide him,

"Will!" Elizabeth knelt beside him.

"Guard the chest!" he ordered before springing up to rejoin the fight. She and I looked at one another.

"Is he fucking kidding me?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"No!" We stood and began running after him, "This is _barbaric_! This is _no_ way for grown men to settle-! Oh fine!" I began to laugh as we slowed down, "Let's just haul out our swords and start _banging_ away at each other! This will solve _everything_! I've had it! I've had enough of wobbly-legged, rum-soaked… _pirates_!" She stooped down and grabbed a rock. Elizabeth hurtled at the men, but it fell quite a ways to the left.

"Nice aim," I snickered.

"Enough!" She screamed at them. I fell down onto the sand,

"Oh this is fucking _hilarious_." I began to cry, I was laughing so hard.

"How is this in the _slightest_ amusing?" She fumed. I looked up at her and went back to laughing. She continued throwing rocks at them. "This is madness!" She shouted.

"No!" I crowed, "This is SPARTA!" I shrieked in laughter and held my sides. "Ow, ow my ribs." I tittered, still chuckling.

"Enough!" She cried again. Elizabeth was panting from screaming and exasperation. I eyed her. "Oh, oh! The heat!" And she fell to the sand, hat flying off in the process. They didn't notice.

"I don't know if _you_ know." I began, "But I don't think they really care about us."

"Well at least I know Will cares about me!" She snapped before her eyes grew wide. She clamped a hand over her mouth. "Oh. Oh, I'm sorry." I blinked.

"Nah, it's cool." I shrugged, "Whatever happens, happens, you know?" We sat there for a moment before we heard someone run behind us. We looked over out shoulder to see Pintel and Ragetti running off with the chest. We looked at each other before jumping up and running after them.

"Can you run in that?" She puffed as we traversed through the thickly foliaged grounds,

"You've done it haven't you?" I huffed. We stopped short and grinned as Pintel and Ragetti noticed us. They smiled weakly. Elizabeth reached for her sword and was sorely dismayed to find that it was gone. "Oh right." I said stupidly. The two rats smirked and dropped the chest, drawing their swords.

"Hello poppet." Suddenly, the ground rumbled and we looked to see Will and Norrington battling atop a rolling waterwheel with Jack running after them.

"Now doesn't that look familiar?" I asked no one in particular. An axe whizzed by my head and imbedded itself in a palm tree. We looked back to see Davy Jones' crew running at us like all hell. "Oh shit." I squeaked. We began to back up and Pintel and Ragetti shoved their swords into our hands and took off running with the chest. Elizabeth and I looked at each other. "You can use one of these right?" I asked, fully determined for a little action.

"Yes, but I suggest we do a little running first." And we chased after the two buffoons. Elizabeth began to scream.

"Oh, for the love of-" Pintel and Ragetti dropped the chest and we all stopped and turned. Elizabeth blocked a blow and I ducked and pierced the stomach of the Bo'sun. We swung around, rolling off each other's backs to knock off a few heads.

"Sword!" I chucked one at Pintel who caught it in time to parry a lash.

"Sword!" Ragetti called.

"Sword!" Elizabeth threw hers. I pushed her out of the way of a pair of swinging cannon balls and dropped to the ground. I kicked the crewmember in the crotch and he howled. She pulled me up and we began to run. Pintel and Ragetti tossed us their swords. We turned in time to block, spun our swords and in unison, stabbed behind us.

"Nice." I complimented. She smiled and we continued running. The two idiots in front had scooped up the chest once more. Even when we reached the beach, we continued fighting, turning and defending. Elizabeth and I began to slow, out of breath and energy. I think God loved me that day because the waterwheel rolled through the majority of our problem, crushing them. "Praise Jesus!" I crowed. We fought on until we were backed up into the long boat. We turned to see Jack strike Will over the head with an oar. Will fell into the boat.

"Leave him lie!" Jack barked at us, "Unless you plan on using him to hit something with." I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"We're not getting out of this." Panic tinged her voice.

"Not with the chest." Norrington said. "Into the boat."

"You're mad." Elizabeth cried.

"Don't wait for me." I stared, swallowing the emotion in my throat.

"You're a good man." I said hoarsely. He looked away before running off, the chest tucked under his arm.

"I say we respect his final wish." Jack exclaimed, oar still in hand.

"Aye!" Pintel agreed. We clambered into the long boat and began to row. I kept silent about the unsettling feeling in my gut.

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Reviews are Love!

The Idiot Author.


	10. In the End

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 10: In the End

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Mr. Gibbs grabbed my hand and pulled me aboard.

"Thanks." I smiled. "It feels good to be back on the _Pearl_."

"Aye, it's good ta have ye back lass." Jack made a sort of grumble.

"What?" I sneered. "You have your jar of dirt and a pair of hands, don't you? Isn't that good enough?" He raised an eyebrow. Jack gripped my hand tightly and pulled me with him. I didn't resist much, only looked behind me to see Elizabeth hovering over Will. He took me to a spot below the stairs. Setting the jar on a barrel, he pushed me into the wall and slammed his hands beside my head. I flinched. He breathed deeply.

"Now listen love." His face came dangerously close to mine. "What I had to do back there, three days ago, you wouldn't understand."

"Well, maybe if you told me, then I _would_ understand." I said crossly.

"It's better if I don't."

"You always keep me in the dark!" I accused, "You never tell me anything! I'm not even sure if you lo-" He silenced me with a kiss. A deeply possessive, almost angry kiss. He pulled back.

"It's for your own safety pet. I want you to be safe." And he stepped away, taking the jar and leaving me in the shadows with a bruised pair of lips. I could taste the rum and nearly despised myself for reveling in it. Brushing off a blush and any difficult emotions, I stepped around the stairs and went to the upper deck.

"You're pulling too hard!" Pintel shouted.

"You're not pulling hard enough!" Ragetti countered. I rolled my eyes. Typical. We barely survived a life threatening situation and they go straight on back to bickering. _Men_.

"Where's the Commodore?" Mr. Gibbs asked as I fell into step behind them.

"He fell behind." Jack replied nonchalantly.

"My prayers be with him." Cotton handed me Poppins. I squealed.

"Hey kid."

"Poppins! I'm so glad to see you!" I hugged the black leather bag. "Can you give me the key to unlock these shackles? I've had them on for a while." I opened the bag and withdrew a small key. "Thanks." Feeling around for the keyhole, I unlocked the collar first and moved onto the shackles. Me skin felt tender and raw to the touch and I cast the metal into the sea.

"Best not wallow in our grief." We followed Jack up the stairs and stood at the wheel. "The bright side is: You're back. And made it off free and clear." Gibbs smiled and the earth rumbled. The sea beside us exploded as the _Flying Dutchman_ rose from the depths. My eyes widened and I nearly dropped Poppins.

"Oh my God."

"Lord almighty. Deliver us." Gibbs crossed himself. The crew of the _Dutchman_ jeered at us and Jones regarded me coldly from across the way. I swallowed and shouldered Poppins.

"Is that?" the bag trailed off.

"Yeah." I muttered. "Yeah it is."

"I'll handle this, mate." Jack smirked confidently, moving forward. "Oi, fish face!" I slapped a hand on my forehead. Jack was always the _perfect_ diplomat. "Lose something? Eh? Scungilli?" I rolled my eyes. Jack tripped and stumbled down the stairs, eliciting "Oohh"s from the crowd.

"Jack!" I ran after him.

"Got it!" he proclaimed, raising the jar up. "I'm alright love." He flashed me gold and silver so I stood by. "Come to negotiate, eh, have you, you slimy git?" He began to strut across the deck, retaining the cocky air.

"Jack," I hissed, "Don't do anything stupid!"

"Look what I got." He began to prance around with a singsong voice. "I got a jar of dirt! I got a jar of dirt! And guess what's inside it?" I groaned.

"Why doesn't anyone listen to me?" Jones turned to his crew for a moment. Canons slowly protruded from their ship.

"Oh bugger." I breathed.

"Hard to starboard." Jack said faintly, still holding the jar of dirt above his head.

"Hard to starboard!" I screamed,

"Brace up the foreyard!" Will shouted. Gibbs was at the wheel, spinning it madly.

"Hard to starboard!"

"Fire all!" I heard from the _Dutchman_. I swallowed and ran to Jack. The _Pearl_ shuddered as she was struck by the launch of cannons. The lantern behind us shattered and Gibbs and I ducked simultaneously. Jack nudged Gibbs out of the way and spun the wheel. The sails caught the wind to our delight.

"Come on girl!"

"She falling behind!" I crowed.

"Aye, we've got her!" Gibbs agreed.

"We're the faster?" Will asked in disbelief.

"Against the wind the _Dutchman_ beats us. That's how she takes her prey. But _with_ the wind…" Gibbs trailed off with a grin.

"We rob her advantage."

"Aye!" I turned away to stand by Jack.

"I've been meaning to ask you where you got that dress." He said, eyebrow raised.

"Why, do you fancy it? I don't think it'd fit you." I teased.

"They're giving up!" Marty proclaimed excitedly. The crew cheered and for a moment I was swept away with them. Will approached Jack from behind.

"My father is on that ship." I swallowed. "If we can outrun her, we can _take_ her. We should turn and fight."

"Why fight when you can negotiate?" Jack asked smoothly. "All one needs, is proper leverage," He set the jar on the rail, fingers rippling over it's edge. There was a jolt. I stumbled into Will who caught me before I fell. A crash, and the jar of dirt was on the deck, shattered. Jack let out a strangled whimper. He dashed down the stairs. Sifting through the dirt, I was halfway towards him to hear him say, "Where is it? Where is the thump-thump?" I froze and the pieces clicked in my brain. _Leverage._ The heart of Davy Jones was his _leverage_.

"Oh shit." I muttered.

"We must've hit a reef." I paled, the words horrifyingly familiar. I looked up at Will who stared at me.

"No… It's not a reef! Get away from the rail!" He pulled Elizabeth back. Some of the crew who heard him, stepped away.

"What is it?"

"The Kraken," I replied.

"Load arms!" Will ordered.

"Defend the mast!" Gibbs shouted. I shook Jack,

"Come _on_!"

"It'll attack the starboard." Will and I shared a knowing look. "We've seen it before." He drew a sword, "Run out the cannons and hold for my signal!" The crew hurried to obey. Jack stood.

"Where are you going?" But he disappeared in the rush. I shook my head and went to the lower deck. The men had gone silent as the tentacles covered the cannon doors. "Easy boys." I urged. "It'll be alright." But I knew that almost half the crew would be dead by the end. I looked up to see a few, monstrous tentacles hovering above.

"Will?" Elizabeth sounded panicked.

"Steady, steady…"

"Will!" she pressed and I knew how terrifying this was for her.

"Hold! Hold."

"I think we've held fire long enough!" Pintel hissed.

"Will!" Elizabeth screamed.

"Fire!" he bellowed. I covered my ears at the sheer noise of a dozen cannons. I went to the upper deck to see the tentacles slither back into the water. The crew began to cheer but I held my joy. There was more to come. I stood beside Will and Elizabeth.

"It'll be back." I said.

"We have to get off the ship." He agreed. He took her arm.

"There's no boats." She said, looking past us. We followed her gaze to the crushed longboat on deck. A barrel rolled from behind it. Curiously, I went towards it. I looked over at Will and grinned.

"Pull the crates!" He shouted, catching on to my smile. "Get all the gunpowder onto the net in the cargo hold." Elizabeth and I followed him. He took a rifle from a passing sailor and handed it to me. "Whatever you do, don't miss." I nodded.

"As soon as you're clear." We parted and I looked for Jack. The crew busied themselves pulling the grates and loading the net.

"We're a bit short on gunpowder." A man said, "Six barrels." I rolled my eyes.

"Hurry up!" Gibbs shouted. "There's only half a dozen kegs of powder." He told me.

"Then load the rum!" I barked in exasperation. The crew went deathly silent. It took Gibbs several long, painful moments before he said,

"Aye! The rum too!" I heard them groan and complain, perhaps even a few tears and prayers for their beloved drink. I ran back to the upper deck, my ragged dress almost dry. Elizabeth was staring at something in the distance. I joined her and squinted.

"Is that-?"

"Oh, you coward." She breathed. I felt like I had been struck. The man I loved was rowing away from the mayhem, leaving us all behind. A few tears welled up and I couldn't stop them from slipping down my cheeks and splashing my hands. My knuckled turned white from my grip on the gun. I swallowed harshly. She looked to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I turned away and shouted.

"Hurry up! I know there's more rum to load!" I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and marched away.

"I'm sorry." Poppins said from my back. I didn't reply. There was another lurch and I stumbled.

"Not good." I heard Marty. The tentacles erupted from the water and jammed themselves into the cannon doors. I heard screams and cries for mercy. I shut my eyes.

"Haul away!"

"Heave!" Gibbs bellowed. "Heave like you're being paid for it!"

"Put your backs into it!"

"Don't let me go!" I turned to see Gibbs holding a man's arms.

"I won't let go!" He shouted back. The tentacle jerked him away.

"Shoot me!" The man begged. I began to load the rifle. I looked up and Will was on the cargo net.

"Clear?" I called from the chaos.

"Higher!" He ordered. The Kraken destroyed the mechanism to pull the net higher and the crew ran, screaming. The net dropped slightly and I gasped,

"Will!"

"C'mon! I'm over here!" He cried, egging on the monster. A great tentacle shot forth and tangled itself in the netting. Will slipped but jerked to a stop. His foot was caught in the rope. I cocked the rifle and aimed. Elizabeth ran to me, almost crying.

"No! No please! Don't shoot yet."

"Shoot!" Will roared. "Ashlyn, shoot!"

"I can't!" I cried. "Not with you up there!" Elizabeth let out a scream and I turned. A tentacle had snaked around her ankle and was dragging her to the gaping hole in the captain's cabin. "Elizabeth!" I shouted. Ragetti slammed an axe down on the appendage and Elizabeth scurried to her feet. There was another rumbled and I fell, the gun flying from my hands. "Fuck!" A man was whipped away and he dropped his own rifle on the upper deck. I scrambled to my feet, lungs burning and feet aching. I was smashed into the wall with another jolt. I grabbed the gun, only for a boot to step on top. "What the- Jack!" I looked up into the blinding sun at my pirate lover. I stood and he picked up the gun with a grin.

"Did you really think I'd leave without you love?"

"You don't want me to answer that." I replied coarsely. Will fell from the cargo net and Jack took aim. Everything seemed to slow around me as Jack's finger pulled the trigger. Single barrel exploded, setting off the others. We heard a horrifying shriek and the tentacles that had wrapped themselves around the cargo, exploded. The air reeked of burning flesh. A more humorous side of me spoke up.

"Anyone order calamari?" The flaming remnants of tentacles sank back into the sea, hissing. A few of the crew who had been with us since Tortuga, like Cotton, Gibbs and Marty emerged from the rubble.

"Did we kill it?" Marty asked. I shook my head as I descended the stairs.

"I don't think so." I helped Will to his feet.

"We just made it angry." Gibbs swallowed, "We're not out of this yet. Captain! Orders?" Jack came down the ship, a look of emotion on his face.

"Abandon ship. Into the longboat." He handed Gibbs the rifle and walked past him.

"Jack! The _Pearl_!" Jack stopped and hesitated before looking at his old friend.

"She's only a ship, mate." I swallowed and took Jack's hand. He embraced me before walking off for supplies.

"He's right, we have to head for land." Elizabeth said. I looked out onto the sea.

"'S a lot o' open wa'er." Pintel said uncomfortably.

"That's a lot o' wa'er." Ragetti echoed, his wooden eye slack.

"We have to try." Will inhaled. "We can get away as it takes down the _Pearl_."

"Abandon ship." Gibbs nodded tersely. "Abandon ship or abandon hope." I moved forward to help, only glancing back to see Jack affectionately run his hands along the wood, one last time. Will and I handed supplies off to Marty and Cotton as more of the crew scavenged for goods. I felt Will falter and I looked up.

"Will, what's the- oh." I said in very small voice. "Oh." Elizabeth had Jack in a passionate kiss, one that he did not pull away from.

"Prepare to cast off! There's no time to lose!" Gibbs stepped in the way of that painful vision. "Come on, Will, Ashlyn, step to!" I swallowed my tears and blankly sat in the long boat. _I should've know_. I thought. _I should've known this would happen. She's so much prettier, so much… everything_. She finally came down, stone faced and quiet.

"Where's Jack?" Will asked bitterly. Elizabeth wouldn't meet our gazes.

"He elected to stay behind to give us a chance." The crew looked uncertain. That strange, sick feeling I had in the pit of my stomach when we left Norrington came back, "Go!" Mart hesitantly let go of the rope and we began to row off. I stared at Elizabeth. Jack wouldn't do that. Jack would never do that. Jack would never leave me behind like this, he would never-

"Why are you crying?" I demanded. The _Pearl_ was claimed by the Kraken and we had watched in silence. Now, Elizabeth was softly crying. "Why are you crying?" I asked again.

"What?" She looked at me in disbelief, like I could _ask_ such a question.

"Why the _fuck_ and _you_ crying?" My volume rose. "You have no right! You have no _fucking _right!" I was standing, shaking her, choking her. "How can you _possibly_ cry after what you did?" I was hurting her and Will yanked me away. "I hate you! I hate you!" I screamed. She looked at me in horror, hand rubbing her delicate throat. "I hate you!" I sobbed. Will gripped my tightly. "I hate you." And I cried long and hard for the man I loved.

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Ho shit. This was a really draining chapter. Especially that last bit at the end. Oh man. Please, please, _please_ tell me what you think in a long, lengthy review.

Reviews are Love,

The Idiot Author


	11. For You, Sparrow

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Squirrel's Best

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Chapter 11: For You, Sparrow

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I grew silent as we continued our trip to the Bayous. I refused to look at Elizabeth and Will couldn't meet her eye either. The river in the Bayous was misty and it seemed as if the world already knew of the death of Captain Jack Sparrow. Mourners hummed a deep solemn song as they held their candles. I stared straight ahead and sat close to the bow of the long boat. Poppins remained silent on my back. We docked and I was the first to rise, brushing off the help of Will. I walked up the stepladder and straight into Tia Dalma's arms. She embraced me and my arms hung limply at my side.

"I know child." And she ushered us in. I sat, rigid and unmoving, even as she draped a blanket around my shoulders. She studied me for a moment. "Where did ye get dat dress?" she asked gently.

"Jack," I finally said, "had traded Will and I to Davy Jones. It was Jones who gave it to me and said I reminded him of someone he once knew." She chuckled sorrowfully.

"Aye, I can see that." I didn't have the heart to question her. Will took a seat beside me and resorted to stabbing the table with the knife his father gave him in the place of pure silence. Tia left shortly and returned with a small tray. She offered it to Elizabeth, who shook her head. "Against de cold, and de sorrow." Tia urged. Elizabeth accepted and took a mug. The voodoo witch doctor came to Will and me. "It's a shame. I know you're t'inking that wid the _Pearl_, you coulda captured the devil and set free your father's soul." Will set a mug in my hands and took one for himself.

"Doesn't matter now. The _Pearl_'s gone. Along with its captain." The knife struck the wood and he did not make a move to retrieve it again.

"Aye." Gibbs said from his stance at the door. "And already the world seems a bit less bright." Pintel and Ragetti took the offered drinks. "He fooled us all right to the end. But I guess that honest streak finally won out." I looked to Will and scoffed ever so slightly, so only he would notice. "To Jack Sparrow!" He held out his mug.

"Never another like Captain Jack." Ragetti tried to keep himself composed and my heart warmed a little to his honesty.

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was." Pintel swallowed, letting volume hide his sadness.

"He was a good man." Elizabeth toasted, not looking at anyone.

"To you, my love." I said softly, knowing they could all hear me. We drank and I saw from the corner of my eye that _she_ did not. Will looked at Elizabeth and I could feel his bitterness and anger slip away, like it always did. I shut my eyes, knowing that he felt that Elizabeth loved Jack.

"If there was anything could be done to bring him back…" He rose, "Elizabeth."

"Would you do it?" Tia Dalma asked suddenly, almost desperately. "Hmmm? What… would you? Hmmm?" She looked from Elizabeth to me, then the rest of us. "What would _any_ of you be willing to do?" She came to me. "Hmmm? Would you sail to the ends of the eart', and beyond, to fetch back witty Jack and 'im precious _Pearl_?" I stared up at her.

"Aye." Gibbs looked to us.

"Aye." Pintel rose, a look of fierce determination on his face.

"Aye." Ragetti swallowed, standing with his comrade.

"Awwk! Aye." Cotton's parrot squawked.

"Yes." Elizabeth wiped her face.

"Aye." Will's voice was soft.

"Anything." I whispered.

"Alright. But if you're goin' brave de weird, and haunted shores, at world's end, den... you will need a captain who knows dose waters." We heard the heavy footsteps of well-made, leather boots and I moved closer. Barbossa grinned.

"So tell me, what's become of my ship?" He bit into a green apple and Jin cried out at the sight of more people. I dropped my mug and began to laugh.

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Okay. Really, really short. But it's cool. Because chapter 1 of _Are We There Yet?_ Will be up tomorrow! Aw-right!

Reviews are Love,

The Idiot Author.


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